In the Skies Above Us

Chapter Two

           I woke to the first rays of sunlight. Standing, i stretched out my wings, feeling the sun on my feathers. Then, as others began to wake and swoop down from surrounding limbs, i used my beak to preen my feathers.
          When i was finished, i spread them out, and dropped from the branch, letting my wings catch the air, and then i beat them, once, twice, three times, and soared, looking down at the ground as i hunted for food.
          I finished hunting as the sun settled more solidly in the sky, and started to turn around when i remembered that i needed to see Marus today. I glided left, catching the wind underneath my wings. The morning sky was beautiful, slowly fading into the blue it would become later.
          I caught the owl's scent as i drew near, and let out a series of loud, calling caws, announcing my presence. When the owl appeared above the tree line, i knew immediately that i was in danger.
         The wild owl's eyes were fierce, it's beak open as it hastened toward me. I shrieked, turning to fly underneath the  bird as large, patterned wings cut through the morning air.
         The bird compensated, turning it's body as it tore after me. I weaved, beating my wings as hard as i could. I let out a fierce shriek of warning, which, of course, the natural owl did not heed.
           With unnatural precision, i turned, dancing with the sky, so that for the briefest of moment, i was above the owl. I clipped it's wing with my beak, and it faltered for a moment, allowing me time to move slightly ahead. I dove for the trees.
          I flew down, grazing branches and leaves in my desperation to reach the ground. When the earth was in my sights, i shifted, landing in human form as the owl dove for me. Quickly, i lifted my arm to protect my face and knelt, narrowly avoiding being struck.
          The angry bird flew off quickly, and i stayed kneeling, breathing hard and deep as fear shook me.
          That owl should not have been awake. Owls were nocturnal, and it was morning. He should have not been awake to attack me. I shuddered, unable to control my breathing. Crows and owls were natural enemies. I should have come later, when my calls would not have been heard.
           A  familiar whoo sounded above me, and i looked up as another owl swooped down, not at all aggressive. I could sense the human in it, and stood, standing tall as the owl shifted in front of me.
          Marus' human form was of a teenage boy, his sandy blond hair just short enough to stay out of his eyes, which were blue as sapphire gems and alight with intelligence i knew was limited but extensive in the places he was knowledgeable of.
           I nodded respectfully to him. He spoke first. "What brings you to Owl Burrows so late?" He asked in what seemed to be a slightly resentful voice. I pursed my lips. I knew to him, it was, in fact, a late hour. But safety was always first, and to come earlier would have been suicide,  as demonstrated only minutes before. "I came to ask your advice on a certain...issue." i informed him. His eyes lit with understanding.
          "Your feuds with the ravens?" He asked, as if it were a matter of ending a childish squabble rather than a hateful, tense war. "Yes," i confirmed, slightly irritated. How could he help me when he did not take my petition seriously?
          "What have you done thus far?" He asked, in a slightly uninterested tone. I narrowed my eyes at him, fighting the annoyance i felt. "The ravens requested a meeting for peace, but it only ended in an argument." I told him. I did not add that the fight was mostly the fault of my temper.
          "The ravens want peace?" He asked, slightly more interested. "Yes," i replied. "They came to us." He looked at me in silence for a moment. "You come here seeking advice on how to have peace with the ravens, yet it was the ravens who called for peace in the first place. So why do you need me?"
          I replied "because the ravens want to live the way they like with no consequences, and my Murder wants the ravens to, at the very least, stop stealing human forms with murder." He seemed thoughtful for a moment, and then, after a minute, Marus spoke.
          "Perhaps if the ravens stop teaching, stop encouraging, it, then you can promise that your Murder will not continue to attack them on sight, as you do. If the ravens stop teaching natural ravens how to gain forms, then they will not be able to. Unless, of course, they learn by themselves, in which case not even the ravens would be able to stop them anyway."
          In return, your Murder will promise to only attack ravens who commit crimes." It seemed like a good plan, but... "Most ravens do not teach others. Most murder for pleasure." The owl seemed genuinely shocked by this. "They do?"
         "Yes," i said. "They like to kill in their raven forms.
It... amuses them." I knew my tone was disgusted. He nodded again. "Alright..." he said slowly.
           "Then, perhaps, in addition to the conditions stated before, you might suggest that they not be allowed to kill humans in their raven forms. Maybe, if you say they are only allowed to kill in their human forms, since the actions of humans are not yours to control anyway, then it would fix things."
          I thought for minute. "How so?" I asked. "Well, for one, if what you say is true, then making it banned to kill in their ravens forms will take away some of the appeal, lessening the amount of deaths. Second, being attacked by a bird, as a human, is difficult to defend against. They do not expect it to happen, and do not know how to fight birds. The birds have flight, and the humans will undoubtedly panic at the sight of talons and beaks. Thirdly, there are the ravens themselves. Most shape shifters will be more accustomed with their natural bodies. Which are birds. They will be clumsy in a fight against an actual human, and might lose more often."
          I nodded. "Of course," i said. It was a good idea. "Thank you," i said to him. "You have been very helpful." He nodded, not seeming surprised. "Of course." He paused a moment. "Does this mean you will allow me to sleep?" He asked, serious. I nodded. "Yes. Thank you for your time."
          I then shifted, letting out a triumphant caw as i did, glad to know that i had good news to return to my Murder with.